Indoor Tree-House Playroom

For the amusement of the Scott's boys (and even Scott himself), a lively indoor tree-house playroom was created with a modern twist. The theme of this room is the Swiss Family Robinson. It contains a two-level, man-made banyan tree with real-looking branches and multiple trunks made of coated steel beams to support the weight of several explorers at once. The floor of the loft is designed to resemble the planks of wood the Robinson family would have removed from the boat to make their "house." For the handrail and railings for the loft, big dowel rods were split in half lengthwise so that steel rods could be inserted between them. Then the outside of dowel rods was carved to look like bamboo.

The main floor of the playroom is carpeted in swirls of blue water, tan sand and green grass. Near the steps to the loft is the childhood desk of both Scott and his father. Today, though, Scott's sons are more likely to head through the loft to the desks in their computer room.

Photo on left by E. Anthony Valainis, Indianapolis Monthly